| | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | 
Emil Bove is heading for a big Senate committee vote next week. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | JUDGE FOR YOURSELF: Ahead of next week’s high-stakes Senate committee vote on Emil Bove for a federal judgeship, whistleblower Erez Reuveni is prompting new — and sharply denied — questions about whether the top Justice Department official raised the specter of a constitutional crisis. The details: Reuveni, a career attorney who was fired after saying in court that the administration had accidentally deported someone, has given Congress new batches of documents (see them here and here) to back up his allegations against Bove, POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report. The messages center on the Alien Enemies Act case of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador, in which the administration has repeatedly pushed legal boundaries. They “show increasing alarm among Justice Department lawyers that the administration had in fact defied court orders” not to send the men (who remain disappeared), reinforcing Reuveni’s claims, Josh and Kyle write. Going public: In his first interviews, Reuveni tells NYT’s Devlin Barrett that he’s willing to testify. He warns that Bove and President Donald Trump’s Justice Department have presided over “a degradation of the principles of honesty to the courts that have long guided the Justice Department … [and] a deliberate strategy of deceiving and disregarding federal judges,” Barrett writes. “Trump 1.0, they didn’t say ‘Fuck you’ to the courts,” Reuveni tells Ruth Marcus for The New Yorker, referring to a key meeting when he alleges Bove said DOJ might have to do that. The watchdog group American Oversight sued today to obtain Bove records, per The Hill. Strong rebuttals: Despite the new documents backing up Reuveni, DOJ’s Chad Gilmartin told The New Yorker there “were absolutely no court orders to discuss at this meeting — no matter how many times the media suggests otherwise.” Bove has repeatedly denied that he ever encouraged anyone to violate a court order, including at his confirmation hearing. “We support legitimate whistleblowers, but this disgruntled employee is not a whistleblower — he’s a leaker asserting false claims,” AG Pam Bondi said today on X. And it seems likely Senate Republicans will at least move Bove’s nomination out of committee, after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he’d “probably” vote yes. The view from San Salvador: “How El Salvador Is Reaping Rewards From Trump’s Deportation Agenda,” by NYT’s Annie Correal and Pranav Baskar Another big court fight: The administration’s clash with the judiciary over its zealous expansion of executive power for an immigration crackdown has been a key throughline of Trump’s second term. And despite the Supreme Court’s recent order restricting nationwide injunctions, Trump suffered a loss today as a federal judge issued a new injunction to block his birthright citizenship ban, per CNN. Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s ruling left open the opportunity for nationwide curbs from class-action lawsuits — which is what the plaintiffs here turned their challenge into. Judge Joseph Laplante in New Hampshire granted their request and said it was “just not a close call” to block the executive order. He stayed the ruling to allow time for appeal. The crackdown vs. the courts: Even as immigration arrests surge to their highest levels in years, the pace of deportations hasn’t yet caught up, remaining lower than Barack Obama’s, NBC’s Julia Ainsley and Laura Strickler scooped. That’s because many of the detainees are protected from rapid deportation by asylum claims or other court orders. As a result, there has been documented overcrowding at detention facilities, which DHS’ Tricia McLaughlin called “categorically false.” Up next: Roughly 12,000 Afghans in the U.S. are due to lose Temporary Protected Status on Monday, rendering them newly vulnerable to deportation, NewsNation’s Jackie Koppell reports. Many fear retaliation from the Taliban if they’re sent back. And some members of Congress from both parties hope the Trump administration changes course at the last minute. The politics: Count John Kerry among the Democrats who think the party failed on immigration. The former secretary of State tells BBC’s Anthony Zurcher that “Trump was right” about enforcing the law and protecting the border, which he says came “under siege” during Joe Biden’s presidency. Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | A message from American Beverage: No spin. No judgments. Just the facts from the experts.
When it comes to what your family eats and drinks, you decide. That's why America's beverage companies have launched GoodToKnowFacts.org – a new website that puts easy-to-understand details about the ingredients in our beverages right in your hands, all in one place. For over 140 ingredients, you can find common uses, alternative names and safety assessments from food safety authorities at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | | | 9 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | 1. DEATH TRAP: The U.N. warned today that U.S. cuts to life-saving HIV/AIDS programs could kill more than 4 million people by 2029 if other funders don’t step in, AP’s Maria Cheng reports. The UNAIDS report also estimated 6 million additional HIV infections in that time — and it also expresses fear that other countries/donors will retreat, unwinding one of the world’s signal public health achievements of the century. Reliable HIV/AIDS data could also be lost. How it’s playing: Congressional Republicans have met the seismic end of USAID, which long garnered GOP support, with a shrug, NOTUS’ Haley Byrd Wilt reports. Many largely dismissed concerns, saying foreign aid needed reform and cuts, and that the world shouldn’t depend so much on U.S. money. Others questioned the facts themselves, with Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Mike Collins (R-Ga.) saying they simply don’t believe multiple news reports that have documented people dying abroad due to foreign aid cuts. Speaking of foreign aid cuts: Senate Majority Leader John Thune said votes on the White House’s rescissions package, which includes clawbacks of PEPFAR funds, will likely begin Tuesday, per POLITICO’s Jordain Carney. 2. TRAIL MIX: In this fall’s New Jersey gubernatorial race, the early going is all about Trump. An analysis from POLITICO’s Madison Fernandez shows that Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli are both making the campaign a referendum on the president’s second term, talking about Trump on X way more than candidates did in 2017 or 2021. … Meanwhile in NYC, Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani picked up the support of Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), the influential Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair who backed Andrew Cuomo in the primary, per NYT’s Emma Fitzsimmons. Out of the wilderness: Two prominent new Democratic groups aim to chart a path for the party forward. The States Forum from Daniel Squadron and Adam Pritzker “is part ideas journal, part convention gathering and part network of state legislators and policy thinkers, who are focused on state-level initiatives that could be translated to additional states and even the national stage,” NYT’s Katie Glueck and Nick Corasaniti scooped. Meanwhile, Majority Democrats brings together younger Dem elected officials who want to challenge establishment ideas, improve the party brand and recruit candidates, per Glueck. Rohan Patel leads the hybrid federal PAC. The view from the GOP: There’s been plenty of talk about Republicans’ major social safety net cuts threatening front-line members. But in Rep. David Valadao’s (R-Calif.) district, which stands to be particularly hurt by Medicaid changes, Republicans aren’t worried by his vote for the megabill, POLITICO’s Blake Jones and Rachel Bluth report from Bakersfield. Valadao’s allies think its tax provisions will be popular, and Dems have repeatedly failed to beat him. New in the field for 2026: Josh Cowen is the latest Democrat to join the primary to challenge Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), POLITICO’s Nick Wu reports. He’s a Michigan State professor who plans to focus on education and affordability. … Republican Eric Flores plans to launch a bid against Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), whose district swung to Trump by 20 points, Punchbowl’s Ally Mutnick and Max Cohen report. He’s a former assistant U.S. attorney, municipal judge and Army veteran. … Rosie Pino is an early GOP contender against Rep. Nellie Pou (D-N.J.), whose newly competitive district also swung to Trump by 20 points. Pino is on the Clifton city council. Cash dash: Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) pulled in more than $10 million in the second quarter, closing it out with $15.5 million on hand, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein. … Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) raised more than $900,000 and has close to $1.5 million in the bank. … Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) raised $880,000, per the Times Leader’s Bill O’Boyle. 2028 watch: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is heading to New Hampshire this week to campaign for Rep. Chris Pappas’ (D-N.H.) Senate bid, per WMUR-TV’s Adam Sexton. … As California Gov. Gavin Newsom swings through South Carolina, some local Democrats worry that his left-coast affiliation may be too progressive for the country, POLITICO’s Tyler Katzenberger reports from Laurens. … Meanwhile, some Iowa Democrats are pushing to make their caucus first in the nation again — even without DNC permission, per Axios’ Alex Thompson.
| | | | Did you know Playbook goes beyond the newsletter—with powerhouse new co-hosts at the mic? Tune in to The Playbook Podcast every weekday for exclusive intel and sharp analysis on Trump’s Washington, straight from Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns. Start listening now. | | | | | 3. DEMOCRACY WATCH: “Nearly half of election officials concerned about politically motivated investigations,” by POLITICO’s Aaron Pellish: “Forty-six percent of local election officials said they were at least somewhat concerned about politically motivated investigations of their work or the work of other election officials” in a Brennan Center for Justice survey. 4. RUSSIA LATEST: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was “disappointed and frustrated” by Russian intransigence on ending its war on Ukraine, AP’s Matthew Lee reports. But after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia, Rubio said the two had discussed “a new and a different approach” for peace talks, which he’d bring back to Trump. As Ukraine hopes for more Western help, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said it remained an open conversation whether the U.S. would deliver more Patriot systems to Kyiv, per Bloomberg. Merz and other European leaders have tried to cajole Trump by flattering him in recent weeks, likening his Iran strikes to Russia sanctions, NYT’s Jim Tankerskey reports. 5. PAGING KRISTI NOEM: “FEMA Is Holding Up $2.4 Billion in Grants to Fight Terrorism, States Say,” by NYT’s Benjamin Oreskes: “[T]he flow of funds is now being imperiled by FEMA officials, who are nearly two months behind in posting the latest application guidelines for the grants. The new application is expected to reflect additional requirements for cities and states to demonstrate compliance with President Trump’s priorities on immigration enforcement and dismantling diversity programs. But no one has seen the application, leaving longtime funding recipients in limbo and feeling increasingly anxious.” 6. THE CUTS: As the Social Security Administration struggles to handle a surge of calls amid DOGE cuts to the agency, roughly 1,000 staffers are getting reassigned to man the 1-800 number instead of working in field offices, WaPo’s Meryl Kornfield and Hannah Natanson report. Meanwhile, thousands of canceled scientific research grants have gone beyond the focus on racial and gender diversity the administration wanted to stamp out, NYT’s Kate Zernike reports. Diversity programs that aimed to lift up scientists from rural, poorer, more conservative parts of the country were also affected, thinning out a pipeline for all kinds of underrepresented groups. 7. FOR YOUR RADAR: Following their big win in the GOP megabill, Americans for Tax Reform and other conservative groups are urging the Trump administration to go for a significant capital gains tax cut, WaPo’s Jeff Stein reports. The shift would be achieved by altering Treasury Department calculations without Congress, despite a DOJ opinion from 1992 saying Congress would have to make this change. It’s not clear if advocates have succeeded in convincing the administration yet. Nonpartisan economists have said it would mainly benefit the wealthy and add up to $200 billion to the deficit over a decade. 8. SCHOOL DAZE: “George Mason faces second civil rights probe, this time over DEI policy,” by WaPo’s Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff: “On Thursday, the Education Department said it had opened its second civil rights investigation in as many weeks into George Mason University, this one over the alleged use of race in the hiring and promotion of faculty. The department said it launched the investigation after receiving complaints from multiple professors.” 9. FOR PETE’S SAKE: “The Backdoor Way That Pete Hegseth Could Keep Women Out of Combat,” by The Atlantic’s Missy Ryan: “This spring, [Defense Secretary Pete] Hegseth dispatched a newly created team of advisers to elite units and military schools … looking for evidence of lowered standards. According to internal documents I obtained, members of the Secretary of Defense Assessment Team, which is headed by Hegseth’s adviser Eric Geressy, conducted the visits with a goal to ‘review and restore training standards’ for elite units. In a previously unreported move, the documents also indicate a plan to ‘conduct a new review on Women in Combat (training/warfighting) Study.’”
| | | | A message from American Beverage:  
America's beverage companies are making it easier than ever to find transparent information about the ingredients in your favorite beverages. Learn more at GoodToKnowFacts.org. | | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | Katie Britt and John Hickenlooper got stuck on the Senate subway — and found time for some bipartisan collaboration. Donna Brazile was initiated as an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — Maryland got an early victory in a fight with the Trump administration over the next FBI headquarters, POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes reports. After the White House abandoned plans to move the bureau to Maryland, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee today voted to prevent the admin from using the $1.4 billion in construction money for anywhere else. That could tee up the FBI HQ to become a sticking point again in this fall’s appropriations fight. OUT AND ABOUT — The Fund for American Studies honored Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) with its Congressional Leadership Award at its 35th annual scholarship dinner last night at the Four Seasons Hotel. Desiree Koetzle received the Alumni Achievement Award, and Kirk Blalock received the Business Leadership Award. SPOTTED: Louis DeJoy, Mark Pryor, Roger Ream, Steve Slattery, Randy Teague, Aldona Wos, Ed Gillespie, Jade West, Chris Ullman, Charlie Black, Geoff Verhoff, Randy DeCleene and Mick Tuesley. TRANSITION — Vanessa Le is now a partner at Latham & Watkins. She previously was of counsel at DLA Piper, and is an ODNI and Senate Intelligence alum. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
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